News
Update – Croydon Office Fire: 28 December 2020 (29 December 2020)
We regret to inform all that on the evening of 28 December 2020 there was a major fire that resulted in our Croydon office. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors help client win an ‘earnings discrepancy’ Judicial Review (18 December 2020)
At the OPH counsel for the Home Office was constrained to accept both that the postcode point was wrong, and that it followed that permission should be granted on all grounds. Read more...
Home Office’s Permission to Work policy declared unlawful following Judicial Review brought by a Victim of Trafficking (18 December 2020)
Home Office’s policy ‘Permission to work and volunteering for asylum seekers, Version 8.0’ is unlawful Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Highly Commended at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2020 (15 December 2020)
We are delighted to have been ‘Highly Commended’ for the LawWorks Cymru Award at this year’s LawWorks Pro Bono Awards Read more...
Seeking judicial review in relation to Secretary of State’s policy in relation to discretionary leave for victims of trafficking subject to a deportation order (14 December 2020)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors represent two Claimants who have been granted permission to seek judicial review of the Secretary of State’s policy in relation to discretionary leave for victims of trafficking subject to a deportation order, and the failure to adopt and implement clear guidance to local authorities to ensure a durable solution is found for children in care and/or victims of child criminal exploitation. Read more...
R (SM) v the Lord Chancellor: Government announces review into provision of legal aid for immigration detainees held in prisons (9 December 2020)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors brought a challenge to the legal aid arrangements for immigration detainees held in prisons, which are less favourable than the arrangements for those detained in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs). Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors receive Pro Bono Award from Royal Holloway's Legal Advice Centre (8 December 2020)
We have been awarded a Pro Bono award in appreciation of the work we have carried out for the Royal Holloway Legal Advice Centre Read more...
Home Office is failing to provide thousands of asylum seekers basic cash support and essentials after being ordered by the High Court to do so (8 December 2020)
In September 2020, our public law team challenged the Home Office’s failure to provide adequate support to meet the essential living needs of asylum seekers in emergency accommodation. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors challenge the Home Office’s use of the Penally Camp ex-military barracks to house up to 236 men seeking asylum (7 December 2020)
Duncan Lewis represents claimants who have issued proceedings to challenge the Home Office’s use of the Penally Camp ex-military barracks (‘the Camp’) to house up to 236 men seeking asylum Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors listed in The Lawyer’s UK Top 200 and ranked best firm for diversity (4 December 2020)
We have been included in The Lawyer’s UK Top 200 which ranks the best 200 law firms based on financials, diversity and other benchmarks. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors raise over £12,000 for charities during Free Wills Month 2020 (1 December 2020)
Our Wills and Probate department raised over £12,000 through its participation in Free Wills Month 2020 Read more...
Ibrahim v London Borough of Haringey (1) and Capital Homes Services Ltd (2) (26 November 2020)
The High Court has granted permission to appeal in a case concerning the security of tenure of those accommodated under the government initiative to accommodate rough sleepers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more...
R (SM) v the Lord Chancellor: unequal access to legal aid for immigration detainees held in prisons (25 November 2020)
Individuals detained in an Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) have access to an advice surgery that guarantees access to 30 minutes’ legal advice regardless of means or merit. Those detained under immigration powers in a prison do not. Read more...
Sulaiha Ali wins the Rising Star Award at the British Legal Awards 2020 (20 November 2020)
Public law solicitor Sulaiha Ali wins the Rising Star award at the British Legal Awards Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted at the LawWorks Annual Pro Bono Awards (10 November 2020)
We have been shortlisted for the LawWorks Annual Pro Bono Awards for the LawWorks Cymru Award, and that immigration solicitor Samuel Bass has been shortlisted for the Junior Lawyers Division Pro Bono Award. Read more...
Challenge to the Home Office’s policy of conducting abridged asylum screening interviews (9 November 2020)
We represent three claimants who have issued urgent proceedings challenging the Home Office’s policy of conducting abridged asylum screening interviews Read more...
NEW ENTRY: Duncan Lewis Solicitors included in The Times 200 Best Law Firms 2021 (6 November 2020)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors included in the Times 200 Best Law Firms 2020 for the first time Read more...
Commonwealth Veterans’ Legal Action – High Court reject our call for judicial review (27 October 2020)
The High Court has rejected our call for judicial review into eight Commonwealth veterans’ immigration cases. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted for Clinical Negligence Team of the Year at the Personal Injury Awards 2020 (23 October 2020)
We are delighted to reveal that our Clinical Negligence department has been shortlisted for the Clinical Negligence Team of the Year award at the 2020 Personal Injury Awards Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Chambers and Partners 2021 Rankings (22 October 2020)
We are delighted to announce our results in this year’s Chambers and Partners legal directory. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed Highly Commended for Human Rights Lawyer of the Year at the Law Society Excellence Awards 2020 (15 October 2020)
Public law director Ahmed Aydeed is Highly Commended at the Law Society Excellence Awards 2020 Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors wins Large Law Firm of the Year at the 2020 Law Society Excellence Awards (15 October 2020)
We are thrilled to announce that we have won the Large Law Firm of the Year Award at this year’s Law Society Excellence Awards Read more...
Successful judicial review of the Tribunal (14 October 2020)
The team helped T put forward his trafficking claim and simultaneously made representations that he had a fresh claim for asylum on the basis that he was a victim of modern slavery Read more...
HYL v SSHD (CO/2347/2020) – challenging the SSHD’s refusal to consider eligibility for ECAT leave for victim of modern slavery (14 October 2020)
Challenging the SSHD’s refusal to consider eligibility for ECAT leave for victim of modern slavery Read more...
Attacks on Duncan Lewis Solicitors and legal aid undermine the rule of law and an individual’s constitutional right to access to justice (7 October 2020)
Statement by Duncan Lewis Solicitors on attacks on the company and legal aid undermining the rule of law and an individual’s constitutional right to access to justice Read more...
The Legal 500 2021 results are here – continued success for Duncan Lewis Solicitors (30 September 2020)
Success for Duncan Lewis Solicitors in the 2021 edition of The Legal 500 Read more...
Home Office concedes unlawful detention claim regarding the treatment of medico-legal reports under the ‘Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention’ policy (29 September 2020)
The Home Office has conceded that our client was unlawfully detained. Read more...
Court of Appeal dismisses the Secretary of State’s appeal concerning challenges to the Detained Fast Track Rules (28 September 2020)
Court of Appeal dismisses the Secretary of State’s appeal concerning challenges to the Detained Fast Track Rules and allows, in part, our client’s cross-appeal relating to her unlawful detention Read more...
Wills and Probate team raises vital funds for charity (25 September 2020)
Our Wills and Probate team has raised £1,470 in vital funds for charity through the annual Will Aid campaign Read more...
Permission granted in out-of-time challenge to Home Office human trafficking decision (22 September 2020)
Permission to apply for judicial review has been granted in a challenge to a Home Office decision that there were ‘no reasonable grounds’ to conclude that an asylum seeker was a victim of human trafficking. Read more...
Public Law Solicitor Sulaiha Ali shortlisted at this year’s British Legal Awards (22 September 2020)
Public law solicitor Sulaiha Ali has been shortlisted for the Rising Star – Private Practice award at this year’s British Legal Awards Read more...
Update: Commonwealth Veterans’ Legal Action (16 September 2020)
The two government departments have filed and served their joint Acknowledgment of Service containing their full denial of liability and summary grounds of defence. Their counsel are Sir James Eadie QC and Julia Andersen. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted at the 2020 Family Law Awards (8 September 2020)
Krina Parmar and Helen Newman shortlisted for at this year's Family Law Awards Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted at the 2020 Law Society Excellence Awards (7 September 2020)
We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for a number of awards at this year’s Law Society Excellence Awards Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors challenge discriminatory refusal of citizenship under the Windrush Scheme (27 August 2020)
The Claimant’s case is that the Home Secretary’s reliance on Schedule 1 of the British Nationality Act 1981 (BNA) is indirectly discriminatory and amounts to a violation of the Claimant’s rights under Articles 8 and 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights Read more...
Ohio Stanley v Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council B5/2020/0221 – Court of Appeal Homelessness Case (27 August 2020)
We have been granted permission, on behalf of the Appellant, to appeal by the Court of Appeal on an important point of legal principle relating to homelessness appeals in the case of Stanley v Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council B5/2020/0221. Read more...
Soltany and Others – High Court dismisses challenge to Lock-in Regime at Brook House IRC (26 August 2020)
In a judgment handed down on 21 August 2020, the High Court have ultimately dismissed our clients’ challenge to the lock-in regime at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) Read more...
Commonwealth Veterans’ Legal Action Launched (21 August 2020)
Vinita Templeton is launching a claim for judicial review on behalf of a group of eight Commonwealth Veterans (“the Claimants”) against the Secretary of State for Defence (SSD) and the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD). Read more...
Lord Chancellor accepts unlawfulness of new Legal Aid scheme for immigration and asylum appeals (11 August 2020)
Duncan Lewis represented three claimants who challenged the Amendment Regulations on the grounds that the Lord Chancellor had failed to conduct a lawful consultation before making the Regulations, and failed to gather the information he reasonably required to make a proper decision; that the Regulations were not rationally or proportionately connected to their statutory purpose; and that the Regulations result in the unlawful restriction of access to justice for the claimants and many others. Read more...
Kaitey v SSHD [2020] EWHC 1861 – High Court dismisses challenge to imposition of Schedule 10 Immigration Bail, but grants permission to appeal to Court of Appeal (21 July 2020)
Claimant granted permission to appeal High Court decision at the Court of Appeal. Read more...
TVN v SSHD (CO/387/2020): High Court grants permission on all grounds, to the challenge to the SSHD’s policy on release of detainees from IRCs (15 July 2020)
This challenge is to the SSHD’s policy: Detention Services Order 08/2016 “Management of Adults at risk in detention” which operates in principle and in practice, as an inadequate safeguard contrary to the purpose of the Adults at Risk policy and section 59 of the Immigration Act 2016. Read more...
Home Office ordered to pay over £100,000 compensation for false imprisonment (8 July 2020)
The County Court has determined that the Home Office must pay our client £106,840 in compensation for a period of false imprisonment amounting to 13 months and two weeks which equates to 410 days. Read more...
High Court grants permission to challenge concerning access to legal aid for immigration detainees held in prison (7 July 2020)
The High Court has granted our client permission to seek judicial review of the failure to secure his access to publicly funded legal representation while he was detained under immigration powers in prison Read more...
Former England boxer wins 16-year legal battle to live and work in the UK (3 July 2020)
Our client, the former England boxer Kelvin Bilal Fawaz, has won his legal battle to live and work in the UK. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors welcomes the return of Hanife Djemal to the family and child care departments (3 July 2020)
We are pleased to announce that family and child care solicitor Hanife Djemal has returned to Duncan Lewis after initially leaving the firm in March 2020. Read more...
Court of Appeal grants permission to appeal in challenge concerning the lack of safeguards for Immigration Detainees in Prison (1 July 2020)
The Court of Appeal has granted our clients permission to appeal in the case of MR (Pakistan) and AO (Nigeria) v SSJ and SSHD [2019] EWHC 3567 (Admin). Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ legal challenge leads to changes to the financial support rates provided by the modern slavery Victim Care Contract (1 July 2020)
Our client was referred into the National Referral Mechanism (the framework for identifying and recording victims of human trafficking) and recognised as a potential victim of trafficking Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Wales-based public law team shortlisted for Public Law Team of the Year at Wales Legal Awards 2020 (24 June 2020)
Our Wales-based public law team has been shortlisted at this year's Wales Legal Awards Read more...
High Court grants permission to judicially review the Home Office’s ‘Permission to Work’ policy for asylum seekers (17 June 2020)
The High Court granted our client, permission to judicially review the legality of the SSHD’s immigration rules and current Permission to Work policy for asylum seekers Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed takes part in Westminster Legal Policy Forum keynote seminar (12 June 2020)
Public law director Ahmed Aydeed took part in Westminster Legal Policy Forum’s keynote seminar: Tackling modern slavery in the UK – progress and practical next steps, business and the global response and the future for policy Read more...
Unpublished Home Office Guidance on considering MLRs under the Adults at Risk Policy (3 June 2020)
Joint Note by Duncan Lewis Solicitors and Garden Court Chambers Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors challenge amendments to the Remuneration Regulations (29 May 2020)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors served a letter before action on the Lord Chancellor challenging the lawfulness of the Civil Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 (the Amendment Regulations) on behalf of four of its clients. Read more...
Directors Bahar Ata and Krina Parmar shortlisted at this year’s Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards (21 May 2020)
We are thrilled to reveal that Bahar Ata and Krina Parmar have been shortlisted at the 2020 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Harrow public law team shortlisted for Legal Aid Team of the Year at the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards 2020 (21 May 2020)
Our Harrow based public law team has been shortlisted at this year's LALY Awards Read more...
Home Office’s fee waiver policy has been declared unlawful (21 May 2020)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ public law team have brought a case in relation to the Home Office’s fee waiver policy, with the Upper Tribunal declaring that the current policy is unlawful. Read more...
Home Office to review policy on detention of trafficking and slavery survivors as a result of legal challenge brought by a survivor of trafficking (18 May 2020)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Birmingham-based public law team have brought a case in relation to the Home Office’s unlawful policy regarding the detention of victims of human trafficking, with the Home Office agreeing to review its policy. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors contributes to the FLEX report: ‘Opportunity Knocks: Improving Responses to Labour Exploitation with Secure Reporting’ (12 May 2020)
Public law director Ahmed Aydeed and caseworker Karen Staunton share their expert opinions in a report by anti-trafficking NGO FLEX. Read more...
Luton Community Housing Limited v Durdana. Court of Appeal, Patten, Moylan and Newey LJJ. [2020] EWCA Civ 445, 26 March 2020 (30 March 2020)
Housing director Manjinder Kaur Atwal represented the defendant in possession proceedings Read more...
High Court orders Home Secretary to house asylum seeker due to Covid-19 (27 March 2020)
The High Court has ordered the Home Secretary to give a homeless former asylum seeker accommodation and support to self-isolate during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more...
Ratcliffe v Patterson: rare victory of a defence and counterclaim based on disability discrimination against a private landlord (23 March 2020)
This county court judgment is a rare victory of a defence and counterclaim based on disability discrimination against a private landlord, in respect of which the tenant was awarded the sum of £2,200. Read more...
The Home Office releases hundreds of detainees in the wake of Duncan Lewis Solicitors legal action (23 March 2020)
In the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Home Office has released almost 300 people from detention centres. This comes following the legal action launched last week where our public law team argued that the Home Office has failed to protect immigration detainees from the Covid-19 outbreak Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors instructed by charity Detention Action to issue legal challenge over the Government’s failure to safeguard those held in detention from Covid-19 (20 March 2020)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors has been instructed by charity Detention Action to issue a legal challenge over the Government’s failure to safeguard all those held in UK Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) from Covid-19 Read more...
British citizenship secured for baby of mother presumed guilty of wheelie bin murder (12 March 2020)
In a truly heart-breaking case, our client instructed immigration director Zofia Duszynska and solicitor Chloe Chiu to help resolve his child’s immigration status. Read more...
Commonwealth Veterans’ Legal Action (11 March 2020)
Immigration director Vinita Templeton is bringing legal action on behalf of eight Commonwealth veterans who claim that the army failed to inform them that they needed to make an immediate application to the Home Office for leave to remain in the UK on discharge. Read more...
Lakhany v Prempeh, County Court at Central London, 16 December 2019 (10 March 2020)
This county court appeal raises a number of issues of both general importance and particular interest to those taking part in the possession duty scheme. Read more...
Free Wills Month - Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ wills and probate department offering free will drafting services (9 March 2020)
Our wills and probate department will be taking part in Free Wills Month throughout March, offering free will drafting services to those aged 55 and above. Read more...
Appeal granted for Appellant whose Article 3 ECHR application (polycystic kidney disease) was refused (26 February 2020) (9 March 2020)
The Appellant is a 45 year old Nigerian national who has been suffering from polycystic kidney disease, hypertension and hepatitis B since 2001. Read more...
Successful Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order application from the family court despite conflict with immigration courts (2 March 2020)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors were successful in an application for a Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order (FGMPO) to protect our client’s daughter who was at risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Read more...
TM (a protected party by his litigation friend, DM) v Metropolitan Housing Trust Ltd, 2020 WL 00573172 (2020) (2 March 2020)
Housing solicitor Adrian Smith represented client in possession proceedings. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted for Large Law Firm of the Year award at Leicestershire Law Society Annual Awards 2020 (2 March 2020)
We are pleased to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Large Law Firm of the Year award at the Leicestershire Law Society Awards 2020. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors appoint new child care and family directors Natasha Khakhar and Olamide Olayemi at Luton and Leicester (2 March 2020)
We are pleased to announce the recent internal appointments of Natasha Khakhar and Olamide Olayemi as directors within our child care and family departments. Read more...
Litigation director Anthony Okumah awarded 2020 International Advisory Expert Award (28 February 2020)
Civil litigation director Anthony Okumah has won the 2020 International Advisory Expert (IAE) Award for Civil Litigation – United Kingdom. Read more...
Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Possession Claims at the Court of Appeal - Luton Community Housing Trust v Durdana (2019) (appeal on a Ground 17 possession claim) (20 February 2020)
Housing director Manjinder Kaur Atwal represented the Defendant in Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Possession Claims at the Court of Appeal - Luton Community Housing Trust v Durdana (2019) (an appeal from HHJ Bloom on a Ground 17 false statement possession claim) Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Statement on Tajay Thompson (12 February 2020)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are representing Tajay Thompson, who was due to be deported to Jamaica on a charter flight on 11 February 2020. We were successful in obtaining an injunction preventing his removal on the flight. Read more...
Appeal granted for appellants whose family reunion application was refused (30 January 2020)
Our clients have successfully been granted appeal after their family reunion application was refused Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors granted permission on further case to challenge imposition of bail conditions on individuals that cannot be lawfully detained (24 January 2020)
Our client has been granted permission to challenge the continued imposition of conditional immigration bail against him, and becomes the third Duncan Lewis client to be granted permission in such a challenge. Read more...
Everything you need to know about family mediation at Duncan Lewis Solicitors (24 January 2020)
In light of Family Mediation Week, we explain what family mediation is, how it is used, and the family mediation services our family and child care departments offer Read more...
Emine Mehmet to launch pro bono clinic for vulnerable women in partnership with University of East London’s Legal Advice Centre and Councillor Shah’s Conversation Café (22 January 2020)
Child care director Emine Mehmet is launching a new law clinic offering family and child care advice for vulnerable women as part of Newham Council's Conversation Café. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors welcomes new housing director Alison Winfield (17 January 2020)
We are delighted to welcome housing director Alison Winfield to our Leicester office Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors contributes to the UNICEF Monitoring Returns Project (15 January 2020)
A number of Duncan Lewis public law cases have been included in the UNICEF Monitoring Returns project Read more...
Public law director Toufique Hossain to speak at BID event: Behind locked doors: Immigration detention in prisons exposed (15 January 2020)
Toufique Hossain invited to speak at BID event: "Behind locked doors: Immigration detention in prisons exposed". Read more...
Duncan Lewis case challenges gap in support for victims of trafficking following a grant of refugee status (14 January 2020)
Our public law team, led by director Ahmed Aydeed, is challenging the gap in support for victims of trafficking following a grant of refugee status Read more...